Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/27

 9* S. II. JULY 2, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Thomas Wright, constituting himself the mouth- piece of an intelligent class of archaeologists, in- cluded St. Martin's in his category when he declared, in ' The Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon,' that "not a trace of Christianity is found among the innumerable religious and sepulchral monu- ments of the Roman period in Britain." Against this sweeping assertion Canon Routledge pits the fact that since 1880 further explorations have been carried out, with the result that it seems more than probable that parts of the original structure men- tioned by Bede are still standing, and that "the present walls were not only consecrated by the preaching and actually touched by the hand of St. Augustine, but may be traced Lack to a con- siderably earlier period." Into this dispute we will not intrude, nor will we deal with the question of the value of legend and tradition with regard to ecclesiastical edifices. We will concede, however, the unique position of St. Martin's, Canterbury, as being "the one remaining building that [can] certainly be associated with St. Augustine's preach- ing; the one spot that without doubt felt his personal presence." Canon Routledge supplies a history of the building, giving all that is known concerning its origin and development until, in the last century, it fefl into neglect, from which it has only been rescued in times comparatively modern. A full and valuable description of the church is abundantly illustrated from prints and photographs. Those interested in the question of date may be specially referred to Appendix B.

Lyrical Ballads. By William Wordsworth and S. T. Coleridge, 1798. Edited by Thomas Hutchin- son. (Duckworth & Co.)

MR. THOMAS HUTCHINSON, to whom the world is indebted for a handsome reprint of Wordsworth's ' Poems in Two Volumes," 1807, has conferred a fresh obligation on students of Wordsworth and Coleridge by reprinting the ' Lyrical Ballads.' The book is indeed a precious boon. How widely ' The Ancient Mariner ' differs in the ' Lyrical Ballads' from the version subsequently published the lover of poetry knows, and it is a luxury to read the poem as it issued from the brain of Cole- ridge. Mr. Hutchinson is in his line one of the foremost of scholars, and his introduction is a com- mendable piece of work. No less excellent are his notes, which are both readable and helpful. ' Peter Bell,' ' The Three Graves,' and ' The Wanderings of Cain ' are included in the volume in an appendix, because, " having been written in 1798, they appear to share a common psychological motive with ' The Ancyent Marinere and ' Goody Blake.' " When one thinks how important an influence was exer- cised over the future of poetry by this experiment of the two friends in the direction of simplicity, one cannot do otherwise than rejoice in the possession of the original text, now faithfully reproduced. Portraits ot Wordsworth and of Coleridge are pre- fixed to a volume which is sure of a place in the library of every lover of poetry.

Magnetic Magic. (Privately printed.) WE have here, in an edition limited to one hundred copies, "a digest of the practical parts of the masterpieces of Louis Alphonse Cahagnet," to whose name are affixed the mysterious letters H.F.T.S. The works in question are the ' Arcanes de la [vie] future deVoileV and the 'Magie Mag- netique.' These are but two out of the many

writings of this voluminous expounder of mys- teries, and the digest deserves its name, since it compresses into a few pages matter in the original spread over volumes. Prefixed to the book, which may be obtained through Mr. Robert H. Fryar, of Bath, is a portrait of Cahagnet. the date of whose birth is given as 1803, instead of, as we believed, 1809. The work deals with theurgic mirrors, cabalistic mirrors, and similar objects, in which the young and pure may or may not see marvels, with "pacts, talismans, and other magic or mysterious objects, the very names of which are unknown to us. We are not of the initiate, and have gazed intensely and long into magic crystals and the like, and have seen nothing. We are glad, however, to tell those who sees further information where they may look for it. The work, which is intended to be strictly private, constitutes, we are told, "an elementary initiation into Experimental Occultism." What this may mean we know not. Many things with which as the remnants of exploded superstitions folk-lorists concern themselves are spoken of as still operative, and we learn to some extent only, since the in- structions can scarcely be held to be practical how, with Sister Helen, to melt our waxen man, as was reputedly done with fatal effect by a dramatist recently deceased against an unappreciative critic.

Bygone Devonshire. By the Rev. Hilderic Friend.

(Andrews.) Bi/gone Hertfordshire. Edited by Wm. Andrews.

(Same publisher.)

Two volumes have been added to what Mr. An- drews calls his " Bygone Series of County Histories." Though the same in aim, the works are different in execution. ' Bygone Devonshire ' is the work of a single man, a local antiquary, better known in con- nexion with folk-lore, and especially with flower- lore, than with history. We find, accordingly, in his contribution to the series, in addition to unity of design and workmanship, a large amount of quaint and curious information. The picturesque and historical associations of Devonshire are, of course, not neglected, and we have, naturally, a full account of the noble Cathedral of Exeter as well as of Devonshire worthies Reynolds, Coleridge, Drake, Kingsley, Ford, Fortescue, and the rest. The chapters, however, to which our readers will most readily turn are those on " Churches as Gar- risons," " Churchwardens' Accounts and Parish Registers," " Plant-Names and Flower- Lore," anil " Devonian Facts and Fancies." Our author's flower knowledge he illustrates from literary sources, as

an " orchey " as that of the orchis flowers. By a curious transference of idea, the aconite, or monks- hood, is known as "parson-in-the-pulpit." Curious information is supplied as to leprosy. The volume is as pleasingly illustrated as those with which it is associated, and is worthy in all respects of its place. ' Bygone Hertfordshire ' is compiled from various sources, and is in interest principally historical. Mr. Thomas Frost and Mr. Edward Lamplough are largely responsible for the historic portion, the latter sending accounts of the two battles of St. Albans and the battle of Barnet. Mr. Frost deals generally with historic Hertfordshire and with the Rye House Plot. A short account of 'the Roman theatre once existing at Verulam is supplied by